Tractor lug



Sept. 22,1931. c. J. NOTTKE TRACTOR LUG Filed June 16, 1930 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 CLAYTON J. NOTTKE, OF HURON, OHIO TRACTOR LUG Application filed June 16,

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to driving lugs for tractors.

There are, well known to tractor manufactors and users a great variety of tractor lugs.

Most of them are permanently attached to the wheel or wheel rim. There have been from time to time, suggestions for lugs which may be removed so that the tractor may travel freely and without damage on the highways. Many such constructions have involved relatively complicated structures, or dangerous weakening of the rims to permit retraction of the lugs from operative to inoperative position, or both.

The main objects of the present invention are to overcome these and other difliculties and drawbacks and provide a simple, efficient, compact and economical construction of lug which may be easily and quickly pro :luced inlarge quantities and at low cost. A further object is to provide a lug which be quickly, easily and inexpensively applied to the rim, with the least possible weakening of the rim and with the greatest possible strength and support of the lug by the rim. A further object is to provide a lug which will be etliciently and positively braced and supported against twisting or turning relatively to its full operative position' A further object is to provide a lug which will be releasably locked or held in either its oper.- ative or inoperative position. a lug which may be readily and quickly interchanged with any a other lug of the wheel, and a lug which may be simply inverted and releasably held in such inverted or inoperative position by and in cooperation with the same means by which it is similarly held in its operative position.

struction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application. Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same parts in the different views.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, the lug being sh own in dotted lines in inoperative position;

In order to more clearly disclose the con 1930. Serial No. 461,291.

Fig. 2 is acrosssection on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking down, and V Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates the rim of any usual and well known tractor wheel and 2 the driving lug, as a whole. The most usual way of securing the lug to the rim is by bolting or riveting. The lugs, so secured, are intended to remain permanently or, at least, until necessary replacement. Of course. when driven over a highway, with such lugs, the surface is very badly out up and damaged. In the present instance the lug is not permanently mounted, but removable. It is provided with three pins or posts-21. centre post 3 and two side posts 4 which pass through corresponding holes or perforations 5 and 6 in the rim and into corresponding bores 7 and 8 in a casting 9 which is bolted, riveted or in any other suitable and well knownmanner secured to. and carried by the inner face of rim 1. The central partof casting 9 is considerably thicker or higher than the parts at either side thereof; tively flanges.

It will be noticed that the central or thicker part of the casting 9 is provided with a lateral passage 10 at right angles to and intersecting the bore 7 but lying between the bores 6. As shown in the drawings, it extends clear through, from side to side. This is not essential though, probably, the simplest way to make it. It is necessary that it should enter one side of the block and extend into the block to a point beyond the bore 7. Slidably mounted in this passage is a U shaped yoke 11 the opposite ends being threaded and provided with nuts 12 against which seat spring cups or' caps 13 which receive and seat coil springs 14. These springs, it will be seen are coiled about the arms or branches of the yoke 11 and are confined between the cups 13 and block 9. The expansive action of the springs, clearly, will draw the yoke outwardly from. the passage 10. Now, assume that the lug is in operative position. Post 3 will be seated in bore 7 and will extend through passage 10 Such side portions are relathin and provide good attaching and on out beyond the top of the casting, as clearly shown. The end of this post is tapered to help in quick and easy centering. Before placing the lug in this position or while doing so, the yoke 11 is forced inwardiy of passage 10, against the action of springs 14 until it clears the path of post 3. The post 3 will, then, pass within the yoke and between its arms. Now, as the lug reaches its innermost position and is seated against the wheel rim, the compressing effort on the spring is stopped and they are allowedto withdraw the yoke as far as possible. As the yoke starts out, in the direction of the pull of the springs, it will seat in an annular groove 15 in the post 3 thereby securely frictionally locking the lug in place, as will be clear. To release the lock, it is only necessary'to compress springs 14 enough to slide the yoke back and release it from post 3. Then tap the projecting end of post 3 to loosen it and the lug comes out easily. The extreme length of post 3 is such that when in the full line position. of lug 2 it will project only very slightly inxva'rdly of the block 9 and when reversed it will not project outwardly beyond the rim.

Assume that it is desiredto remove and carry the lug for traveling on the highway, or for any other purpose. It is first unlocked and then removed as just stated. Then it is reversed and connected to block 9, in reversed relation, in just the same way as it is connected in operative positi0n-as in dotted lines. To prevent yoke 11 dropping out and becoming lost, a. flange 16 may be provided in the edge of one side of the block or casting 9. It will he provided with two perforations or holes to loosely receive the arms of yoke 1-1.. Preferably, in assembling,v the "oke ends will be passed through the perforations in flange 16 and the nuts 12 will then be turned up in the yoke ends and against the flange to compress the springs 14, slightly against the flange. This will draw the yoke "ar enough toward flange 16 to clear post 3. N ow. whena lug is to be secured in operative position, it is only necessary to force the yoke 11 back, againstthe action of springs 14 until it clears the path of post 3, as before, seat the ug by. inserting posts 3 and 4 and release the yoketo'the action of springs 14, thereby locking the lug in place.

The post 3 is the main driving connection between lug 2 and rim 1. It is intended and onstructed to take most of the driving strain. Preferably it iscast integrally with the body of the lug, though it may be-made separately and secured thereto. This post is of the same diameter as thestandard bolt regularly used "or connecting the regular standard lug to the rim at exactly the same point. For that reason it is not necessaryto drill a hole in the rim 1 for post 3. It is already there, and is use d without: change.

At each side of this standard hole 5 which.

is already in the rim for the standard lug, a hole 6 of smaller diameter is made to re ceive the smaller diameter posts 4. These posts are shorter than post 3 as well as being of less diameter. Their function and operation is to prevent turning or twisting of the lug around post 3, as an axis. They act to hold the lug in place so that the spade portion or blade will be maintained broadside to the direction of travel to get the full tractive effect. Of course the top face or wall of the lug is cut slightly curved to fit snugly against the rim 1, when seated and thereby assist in taking the thrust and driving strain as much as possible.

It will be seen that there is very little cutting out of the rim and practically no resulting weakening. Nor is any change made in the rim construction. Only a simple inexpensive casting is readily bolted or otherwise secured to the rim, and the lug is connected to that casting by small posts passed through the rim and into the casting;

Instead of two posts 4, one may be used. They are shown between post 3 and the edges of the rim. They may be arranged in a direc. tion at right. angles to that if desired or m various other positions provided, only, that they act to prevent turning of the lug about post 3, as an axis.

From the above it will be seen that the lugs are not only removable and reversible for carrying but, also, that they are all iden-' tical and. therefore interchangeable every one with every other one. Also, the opposite rectangular faces of the lugs are the same and either may beset in the direction of travel of the wheel. So. they are not only-interchangeable in the sense of one being substitutable for another, but they are reversible in the sense that they may be rotated 180 degrees about their respective posts 3 and yet present the same construction and perform the same work. they may be inverted or vertically reversed for carr vingi. e. they are removable, reversible. interchangeable and invertible.

It isthought that the construction, operation and use of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed construction.

Many changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the various parts of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the field thereof and it is meant to include all such within this application And, as previously stated. 7

wherein only a preferred form has been shown merely as a single illustration and with no intent to be limited to such illustrated-construction.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, a wheel rim provided ;with a plurality of perforations, a casting carried on the inner face of the said rim and provided with radial perforations adapted to be aligned with the perforations of said rim and extending completely through said casting, said casting also being provided with a lateral passage intersecting one of said perforations, a reversible lug provided with a plurality of pins adapted to be seated in said radial perforations. one of said pins being provided with a locking groove, a yoke mounted in said lateral passage and adapted to be seated in said groove and embrace said last mentioned pin to lock the lug in position. and means for yieldingly retaining said yoke in operative position.

2. In combination, a wheel rim provided with a plurality of perforations, a casting carried on the inner face of the said rim and provided with radial perforations adapted to e aligned with the perforations of said rim and extending completely through said casting. said casting also being provided with a lateral passage intersecting one of said perforations and lying between the other perorations. a flange carried by said casting and circumferentially spaced from the body thereof. a reversible lug provided with a plurality of pins adapted to be seated in said radial perforations. one of said pins being )IOVldQfl with a locking groove. a yoke mounted in said lateral passage and adapted to embrace said pin and to be seated in said groove to lock the lug in position and extending through said flange, springs disposed about said yoke and. engaging the aforesaid casting. and means carried by said yoke and engaged by said springs to actuate said yoke.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CLAYTON J. NOTTKE. 

